Differential Effects of Methylphenidate on Problem Solving in Adults With ADHD

Objective: Two studies were performed to assess both divergent and convergent thinking in adults with ADHD. Method: The first study compared the problem-solving abilities of healthy participants (N = 144) and unmedicated adults with ADHD (N = 144). In the second study, problem-solving abilities of adults with diagnosed ADHD (N = 22) were examined twice, that is, on and off methylphenidate (MPH), and compared with the performance of a healthy control group (N = 22). Convergent thinking was measured using a Tower of London task, whereas divergent thinking was assessed using verbal fluency tasks. Results: Adults with ADHD off MPH displayed marked deficits of both divergent and convergent thinking. MPH treatment resulted in a marked improvement of convergent thinking, while no effect of medication was found regarding divergent thinking. Conclusion: Pharmacological treatment of adults with ADHD revealed a differential effect of MPH on problem solving abilities

Training of attention functions in children with attention deficit hyperactivity disorder

Pharmacological treatment of children with ADHD has been shown to be successful; however, medication may not normalize attention functions. The present study was based on a neuropsychological model of attention and assessed the effect of an attention training program on attentional functioning of children with ADHD. Thirty-two children with ADHD and 16 healthy children participated in the study. Children with ADHD were randomly assigned to one of the two conditions, i.e., an attention training program which trained aspects of vigilance, selective attention and divided attention, or a visual perception training which trained perceptual skills, such as perception of figure and ground, form constancy and position in space. The training programs were applied in individual sessions, twice a week, for a period of four consecutive weeks. Healthy children did not receive any training. Alertness, vigilance, selective attention, divided attention, and flexibility were examined prior to and following the interventions. Children with ADHD were assessed and trained while on ADHD medications. Data analysis revealed that the attention training used in the present study led to significant improvements of various aspects of attention, including vigilance, divided attention, and flexibility, while the visual perception training had no specific effects. The findings indicate that attention training programs have the potential to facilitate attentional functioning in children with ADHD treated with ADHD drugs

Attention training in attention deficit hyperactivity disorder

Pharmacological treatment of children with attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) has been shown to be successful. However, children with ADHD on medication may still show attention deficits. We have assessed the effect of attention training on attention measures in children with ADHD. These children were randomly assigned to one of two conditions, i.e. an attention training which trained aspects of vigilance, selective attention and divided attention or a visual perception training which trained perceptual skills. They received eight individual training sessions over a period of four weeks. A group of control children did not receive any training. Vigilance, selective attention, divided attention and flexibility were assessed before and after the trainings. ADHD children were assessed and trained on medication. The attention training led to improvements of various aspects of attention, including vigilance, divided attention and flexibility, while the visual perception training showed no effects. These findings indicate that attention training programs have the potential to facilitate attentional functioning in children with ADHD.El tratamiento farmacológico en niños con Trastorno por Déficit de Atención e Hiperactividad (TDAH) ha demostrado tener éxito. Sin embargo, los niños con TDAH medicados pueden todavía mostrar déficits de atención. Hemos evaluado el efecto del entrenamiento de la atención sobre medidas de atención en niños con TDAH. Estos niños fueron asignados aleatoriamente a una de dos condiciones experimentales: un entrenamiento de la atención centrado en desarrollar la vigilancia, la atención selectiva y la atención dividida; o un entrenamiento de la percepción visual para desarrollar habilidades perceptivas. Los niños recibieron ocho sesiones de entrenamiento individual durante un período de cuatro semanas. Un grupo de niños control no recibió ningún entrenamiento. La vigilancia, la atención selectiva, la atención dividida y la flexibilidad fueron evaluadas antes y después de los entrenamientos. Los niños con TDAH fueron evaluados y entrenados bajo los efectos de la medicación. El entrenamiento de la atención dio lugar a mejoras de diversos aspectos atencionales, incluyendo la vigilancia, la atención dividida y la flexibilidad, mientras que el entrenamiento de la percepción visual no mostró efectos. Estos hallazgos indican que los programas para el entrenamiento de la atención pueden facilitar el funcionamiento atencional de los niños con TDAH

Aula abierta

Resumen tomado de la publicaciónEntrenamiento atencional en Trastorno por Déficit de Atención con Hiperactividad. El tratamiento farmacológico en niños con Trastorno por Déficit de Atención e Hiperactividad (TDAH) ha demostrado tener éxito. Sin embargo, los niños con TDAH medicados pueden todavía mostrar déficits de atención. Hemos evaluado el efecto del entrenamiento de la atención sobre medidas de atención en niños con TDAH. Estos niños fueron asignados aleatoriamente a una de dos condiciones experimentales: un entrenamiento de la atención centrado en desarrollar la vigilancia, la atención selectiva y la atención dividida; o un entrenamiento de la percepción visual para desarrollar habilidades perceptivas. Los niños recibieron ocho sesiones de entrenamiento individual durante un período de cuatro semanas. Un grupo de niños control no recibió ningún entrenamiento. La vigilancia, la atención selectiva, la atención dividida y la flexibilidad fueron evaluadas antes y después de los entrenamientos. Los niños con TDAH fueron evaluados y entrenados bajo los efectos de la medicación. El entrenamiento de la atención dio lugar a mejoras de diversos aspectos atencionales, incluyendo la vigilancia, la atención dividida y la flexibilidad, mientras que el entrenamiento de la percepción visual no mostró efectos. Estos hallazgos indican que los programas para el entrenamiento de la atención pueden facilitar el funcionamiento atencional de los niños con TDAH.AsturiasUniversidad de Oviedo. Facultad de Formación del Profesorado y Educación; Calle Aniceto Sela, s. n.; 33005 Oviedo; Tel. +34985103215; Fax +34985103214;ES

Comparison between attention training and visual perception training in children with ADHD.

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